The 17th edition of the Asia Cup is set to take place from September 9 to 28, 2025, in the UAE, with matches scheduled across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This year’s tournament will be played in the T20 format, marking only the third time after 2016 and 2022.

India and Sri Lanka, winners of the previous two T20 editions, are expected to be among the top contenders, although both teams face significant squad changes. Defending champions India will compete without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Pakistan’s lineup is missing key players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

For teams such as Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka, the Asia Cup provides a vital opportunity to prepare ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The inclusion of associate nations—UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong—makes this the first Asia Cup featuring eight teams.

The tournament format sees the eight teams divided into two groups of four. Group A features India, Pakistan, Oman, and UAE, while Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. Each team will face the others in its group once in a round-robin system, ensuring a minimum of three matches per team.

Teams earn two points for a win, one for a tie or no result, and zero for a loss. Net Run Rate (NRR) will be crucial in determining group standings. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage.

The Super Four stage is a unique round-robin knockout phase. The four qualifying teams will form a single group, where each side plays the others once, giving all teams three more matches. Points will be awarded as before, with NRR deciding tied positions.

At the end of the Super Four stage, the top two teams will progress to the final, scheduled for September 28 in Dubai. This format ensures competitive action and provides every team with multiple opportunities to reach the title-deciding clash.